''East of Eden'' () is a 2008 South Korean television series, starring

Song Seung-heon Song Seung-heon (; born October 5, 1976) is a South Korean model and actor. He has acted in various television dramas, notably ''Autumn in My Heart'' (2000), '' ''East of Eden' (2008), '' ''My Princess' (2011), ''Black'' (2017), ''Player' ...

Yeon Jung-hoon Yeon Jung-hoon (born November 6, 1978) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for generational epic '' East of Eden'' (2008), crime procedural ''Vampire Prosecutor'' (2011-2012) and the domestically popular weekend drama ''Pots of Gold'' (2013 ...

Lee Da-hae Lee Da-hae, or Lee Da-hey (born Byun Da-hye on April 19, 1984) is a Korean Australian actress. She is best known for her roles in Korean dramas such as ''Heaven's Fate'' (2004), '' My Girl'' (2005), ''Green Rose'' (2005), ''The Slave Hunters'' ( ...

, Han Ji-hye,

Park Hae-jin Park Hae-jin (born May 1, 1983) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his supporting roles in dramas ''My Love from the Star'' (2013) and '' Doctor Stranger'' (2014), and his leading roles in ''Bad Guys'' (2014), '' Cheese in the Trap'' (2 ...

and Lee Yeon-hee. It was produced by Chorokbaem Media as a 47th Anniversary Special Project Drama for MBC, on which it aired from August 25, 2008 to March 10, 2009 on Mondays and Tuesdays at 21:55 for 56 episodes. The drama tells the story of the brothers Dong-chul (Song) and Dong-wook (Yeon). Their fates diverge after the murder of their coal miner father, with one joining the mob and the other becoming a successful lawyer.

Plot

A period epic that spans the years 1960 to 2000s, ''East of Eden'' tells a saga of the bitter rivalry between two men who are eternally bound by fate. Historic events are referenced, such as the rapid industrialization of the 1970s and 1980s, Taebaek coal miners' strikes and student-led democracy movements. Shin Tae-hwan (

Jo Min-ki Jo Min-ki (November 5, 1965 – March 9, 2018) was a South Korean actor. He is best known for his roles in the television series ''Love and Ambition'', '' East of Eden'', ''Queen Seondeok'', and '' Flames of Desire''. He was also a noted photog ...

) is the managing director of a

coal mine Coal mining is the process of extracting coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from ...

Taebaek Taebaek () is a city in Gangwon province, South Korea. Its name is shared with that of the Taebaek Mountains. Situated at an elevation of , Taebaek is the highest city in South Korea. Attractions Manggyeongsa Temple in Hyeol-dong, at an elevatio ...

. The true embodiment of ruthless ambition, he strives to inherit the coal mining company Taesung Group. In the process, he kills Lee Ki-chul (

Lee Jong-won Lee Jong-won (born September 25, 1969) is a South Korean actor. Filmography Television series * ''Love Is Blue'' (SBS, 1994) * ''The Last Match'' (MBC, 1994) * ''Partner'' (MBC, 1994) * ''Our Sunny Days of Youth'' (KBS2, 1995) * ''The Sce ...

), a miner crusading for worker's rights who has been blocking his path to success. He also seduces Yoo Mi-ae (Shin Eun-jung), a nurse at Taebaek Hospital, only to coldly brush her away after he's tired of her. At the same moment that Yang Chun-hee (

Lee Mi-sook Lee Mi-sook (born April 2, 1960) is a South Korean actress. One of the best-known actresses of 1980s Korean cinema, Lee's most famous films from this era include Bae Chang-ho's ''Whale Hunting'' and ''The Winter That Year Was Warm'', Lee Doo-yong ...

), wife of the deceased Ki-chul, is giving birth to a son at Taebaek Hospital, Shin Tae-hwan's wife also gives birth to a baby boy. Filled with rage at Shin Tae-hwan's betrayal, the nurse Mi-ae comes up with a scheme to fulfill her own revenge. She switches the two babies. By doing so, she viciously transforms the fates of not just two lives, but those around them. Years later, Chun-hee's sons Lee Dong-chul (

) and Lee Dong-wook (

) have taken different paths in life. To alleviate their poverty, Dong-chul becomes a gangster, while the younger Dong-wook dreams of becoming a prosecutor to avenge his family by using the law against Shin Tae-hwan. Two women enter Dong-chul's life: the smart and sensible Min Hye-rin (

), and Gook Young-ran ( Lee Yeon-hee), the willful daughter of his gang boss (

Yoo Dong-geun Yoo Dong-geun (born June 18, 1956) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his leading roles in the historical television dramas ''Tears of the Dragon'', '' Empress Myseongseong'', and '' Yeon Gaesomun''. He was also an adjunct professo ...

). Meanwhile, Shin Myung-hoon (

), who's been molded in his father Tae-hwan's spiteful, selfish image, sets his eye on Kim Ji-hyun ( Han Ji-hye), Dong-wook's sweetheart. Although Dong-chul is on the other side of the law, he remains protective of Dong-wook, but a revelation shakes him to his core: that his nemesis Shin Myung-hoon is actually his biological brother while the beloved brother that had been beside him all these years is actually the biological son of his enemy.

Cast

Main characters

as Lee Dong-chul ** Shin Dong-woo as Dong-chul (5 years old) **

Kim Bum Kim Sang-bum (; born July 7, 1989), known professionally as Kim Bum (alternatively Kim Beom), is a South Korean actor, dancer, singer and model. He is best known for his television roles as F4 member So Yi-jung in ''Boys Over Flowers'' (2009), ...

as Dong-chul (15 years old) *

as Lee Dong-wook ** Park Gun-woo as Dong-wook (10 years old) *

as Min Hye-rinHer last appearance was in episode 40, but last credit at episode 41. * Han Ji-hye as Kim Ji-hyun **

Nam Ji-hyun Nam Ji-hyun (; born September 17, 1995) is a South Korean actress who successfully transitioned from being one of the industry's premiere child artists to an acclaimed lead, well-loved for her roles in ''Queen Seondeok'', ''Suspicious Partner' ...

as Ji-hyun (10 years old) *

as Shin Myung-hoon **Won Deok-hyun as Myung-hoon (10 years old) * Lee Yeon-hee as Gook Young-ran / Grace *

as Shin Tae-hwan (Myung-hoon's father) *

as Yang Chun-hee (Dong-chul and Dong-wook's mother) *

as Gook Dae-hwa (Young-ran's father)

Supporting characters

Dennis Oh Dennis Oh is an American model and actor based in South Korea. Early life and education Oh majored in photography at the Savannah College of Art and Design. He is an artist whose hobbies include drawing, traveling, and photography. Career Oh ...

as Mike Packard (Young-ran's fiancé) *

as Lee Ki-chul (Dong-chul and Dong-wook's father) *

Jeon Mi-seon Jeon Mi-seon (December 7, 1970 – June 29, 2019) was a South Korean actress. Though best known as a supporting actress in films and television series such as '' Memories of Murder'' (2003), ''Moon Embracing the Sun'' (2012), and ''Hide and See ...

as Jung-ja (Ki-soon's mother) *Park Hyun-sook as Yang Ok-hee (Chun-hee's sister) *

Jeon So-min Jeon So-min (; born April 7, 1986) is a South Korean actress, model and author. Jeon made her debut in 2004 with sitcom ''Miracle''. In 2006, she made her big-screen debut through the film, ''Cinderella''. Jeon played her first leading role in ...

as Lee Ki-soon **

Jin Ji-hee Jin Ji-hee (born March 25, 1999) is a South Korean actress. Career She began her career as a child actress, and is best known for her roles in the relationship drama '' Alone in Love'' (2006), the horror fairytale ''Hansel and Gretel'' (2007) ...

as Ki-soon (9 years old) *Kim Sung-kyum as resident Oh * Na Hyeon-hui as Oh Yoon-hee *Lee Won-jae as Kyung-tae *

Shim Hye-jin Shim Hye-jin (born February 6, 1967) is a South Korean actress and model. She was one of the leading actresses of the 1990s in South Korea. Shim started her career as a model and achieved stardom with a Coca-Cola commercial in the late 1980s. D ...

as Young-ran's mother *Yoon Dong-hwan as lawyer Kim Tae-seon *

Jung Hye-young Jung Hye-young (born December 14, 1973) is a South Korean actress. She is a part of the YG Entertainment group and is best known for her roles in Korean television dramas. Personal life In 2004, Jung married Sean Noh, a member of hip-hop du ...

as Janice / Jae-hee *

Shin Eun-jung Shin Eun-jung (born January 3, 1974) is a South Korean actress. She has played supporting roles in television dramas such as '' The Legend'' (2007), '' East of Eden'' (2008) and ''Faith Faith, derived from Latin ''fides'' and Old French ''fe ...

as Yoo Mi-ae / Rebecca *

Hwang Jung-eum Hwang Jung-eum is a South Korean actress and singer. She rose to stardom through the sitcom ''High Kick Through the Roof'' and received her first leading role with television series '' Listen to My Heart''. Career Hwang Jung-eum debuted with K ...

as Kim So-jung *

Kang Eun-tak Kang Eun-tak (born Shin Seul-gi on August 16, 1982) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his leading roles in the television series '' Land of Gold'' (2014), '' Apgujeong Midnight Sun'' (2014–2015), and '' Bubbly Lovely'' (2016–2017 ...

as Han Soo-jae *Jeon Sung-hwan as stationmaster Kim Gab-soo (Ji-hyun's grandfather) *Lee Seok-joon as Father Han *Kim Hyung-min as Wang-geon *Go Yoon-hoo as Dok-sa *Park Chan-hwan as Uncle Chang *Kim Hak-chul as Kang Gi-man *

Park Geun-hyung Park Geun-hyung (born June 7, 1940) is a South Korean actor. His career in film, television and theater has spanned over five decades. Filmography Film *''7 People in the Cellar'' (1969) *''Lovers of Seoul'' (1973) *''Spies in the National A ...

as President Min (Hye-rin's father) *Jung Young-sook as Bae Hwa-mi (Mr. Min's wife) *Jung So-young as Min Hye-ryung (Hye-rin's sister) *

Park Sung-woong Park Sung-woong (born January 9, 1973) is a South Korean actor. Following his acting debut in '' No. 3'' in 1997, Park has starred in several movies and television series, notably as a gangster in ''New World'' (2013) and a serial killer in '' T ...

as Baek Sung-hyun *Lee Sol-gu as Choi Hak-sung

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* official MBC website * at MBC Global Media * * {{IMDb title, 1361356 MBC TV television dramas 2008 South Korean television series debuts 2009 South Korean television series endings Television series set in 1960 Television series set in the 2000s Television series about revenge Television series by Chorokbaem Media Korean-language television shows South Korean melodrama television series South Korean action television series